A Little Guidance
by TheSwitchIsOFF
Summary: "You're not gonna make a habit of dying like everyone else. I'll make sure of that."
1. Introductions

WX-78 looked up to the sky as the colors of day slipped into the west along with the sun. Its optical sensors threatened to fall out of focus as it bled out into the soil bordering the golden grassy fields. On its back, it shifted its head to squint at the beefalo facing away from it. It was as if the lumbering beast had forgotten it already, and the robot gazed at the glinting blood-stained horn on the left side of the beefalo's head. Straining to see over its own torso now, it weakly moved its hand over the gaping wound across its "stomach". The automaton let out a guttural groan, laced with gurgling. Silently, it cursed all organic life. Of course it would be the end of the robot's, it was all so typical. It shifted to scan over the wound more easily, earning itself a mechanical wince that echoed awkwardly through the dented shell of metal that was supposedly its chest. Its hand twitched and slipped down to its side where it now lay paralyzed. As the blood ran out, it felt itself become alert, but for only an instant, which meant the "emergency" supply was now being drained in place of the red liquids.

A thick and constant flow of oil began to taint the ground in hopes of clotting the wound and saving the robot's life, but the effort was pathetic and in vain as it pooled around the dying husk of bronze. WX-78 was already in bad shape before this incident, it's what caused the fragile mind to snap and violently demand food from the cruel world around it by attacking the large woolen creature that now slowly made its way back to its herd, unscathed. The automaton, even on the verge of death, still saw shadows dance in the corner of its vision. At least the headaches were gone now, it only felt tired. The sun sank into the horizon and drained the remaining colors away. WX-78 had had experiences with the monster in the dark before, when the neighboring pigman had decided the berries it had dropped that "mysteriously" rolled out of the light of the fire were more important than its safety. It's WX-78's turn, now.

Its optical sensors shut down for a few moments, catching and holding the sight of the sunset before all that was left were the few seconds of transitioning to night and complete darkness. But night never came.

After a minute or two the robot angrily opened its "eyes" to see a blue glow rest upon the earth all around it, that seemed to stretch for miles. It was as if a full moon had come. But time had stopped. The wind did not carry, and there was no rush of cold that signified the presence of night. It couldn't have been a full moon, it just didn't feel right. But there was no feeling now, only impatience. This felt familiar as a sight, and the automaton was right. Time _had_ stopped. Just before darkness had fallen over the world like a blanket, the blue flash of night's arrival had been caught for WX-78 to bask in. The robot could still see that it was bleeding, though. It stared, confused and annoyed, at the oil coating its sides. The shadows still danced, and their presence intensified with the automaton's anger, becoming more noticeable. The oil began to shift and sway as WX-78's vision deteriorated, and the robot's head gave out under its own weight, its optical sensors now scanning the sky against their will. The black liquid climbed through the air to meet its gaze, to its surprise, and took the shape of an hourglass figure. In an instant, through the struggle of keeping its sight focused, WX-78 was met with the warm smile of a human being. The smile did not signify any hint of insanity or blood lust, it was almost comforting. It only lasted for a moment before it spoke.

"You're not looking too good, hon. I'm sorry Max can't be here to see ya, he's a little busy," the tall woman leaned over the automaton's still body. "but I can do his job just fine. You see-," she cupped the oil on the ground into her gloved hands. "You're not the only one trapped here; but the others aren't doing too well. We couldn't get back to them in time." She gave WX another smile as she separated her hands, letting the oil splatter onto its chest. "They'll be fine, but it always takes some time to... put them back together. S-so they can try again!" She bit her lip anxiously at the robot's struggling glare. "The thing is," she began, stepping to the side. "I've been watching everyone from the dark. I'm _supposed_ to be helping you all find Maxwell, but you're all making it real hard for me. I also can't help much if you wander into the dark, I have another job, y'know? They're watching us too." She puts a hand on her hip, the oil making no marks whatsoever as she looks down at her nails. "I'm saying more than I need to, but I need to be quick and clear about this. I'm going to let you live, but hear me when I say that _you_ -," she kneels down to face the robot directly, "are _not_ going to be careless anymore. I don't care how hard you think you're trying, it's not good enough for us. You made a deal with Max and you're gonna pay your end of the deal whether you want to or not. These shenanigans have gone on for far too long. You're not gonna make a habit of dying like everyone else. I'll make sure of that." Her eyes were filled now with an anger and impatience that outweighed WX-78's by the tons. In the blink of an eye, her gaze was once again warm and harmless. "So," she clasped her hands together, standing away from WX-78. "it's time to rest, dear. You have a long day ahead of you." Her voice became a whisper as the robot tapped out.

* * *

 **Hello! Drop a review (with some thought put into it) and direct any questions towards my inbox. That means PM me your questions and concerns. I have tried writing a story for Don't Starve before, but it felt too fast-paced, so I took it all down. This story will feature WX-78 and Charlie (an odd pair) on a quest to find Maxwell himself. If you know me for my older stories, then you know I'm (kind of) comedic. This will be classified as humor/adventure. Now I know the Don't Starve stories are a bit slow updating, but just because this story's a fresh one, it doesn't make me a damn youtuber. I literally can't upload a chapter every day. Maybe for awhile it'll seem like it, but we all get bored of our projects when support begins to deteriorate. And it does when the game you're writing stories about was released** _ **years**_ **ago. Lucky to get any.**


	2. Cheaters

WX-78's systems sprang to life. Its mechanical eyelids slowly opened to see the swaying roof of a forest. In panic and drowsiness, the robot hastily lifted itself from the ground and tried to feel its torso for the fatal wound it had received prior to waking up. It stumbled and fell by the feet of a large, looming tree. The shade was much colder here, and WX-78 began to wonder if it had been "out" for much longer than a night. Shifting, it personally scanned its vital systems to find not a single problem. Not even the old starvation alert hung on the dashboard that was WX-78's mind, and the automaton felt relief and confusion cloud its thoughts, but only for an instant. Then, seeing past itself, it gazed into the forest that seemingly never ended. It wasn't that it stretched forever, or as far as WX could see, but it was just so... "DARK." The automaton's voice echoed through the undergrowth and seemed to be consumed by the shadows of the forest, for it didn't travel far at all. Suddenly WX-78 felt uneasy. It stood, slouched, and began to its left in search of a clearing. WX trudged cautiously through the dancing flecks of light that filtered through the tree tops. The forest must have been ancient, mushrooms poked out of every crevice and moss hung from most of the tree trunks. Some of the smaller plants were entirely new to WX-78, and it took its time to analyze each and every one it could get close enough to. Although it sounds like WX has its own personal widget for discovering living things fully without proper research, it was really just blurting out blunt observations. "IT SEEMS POISONOUS," or "I WAS NEVER PROGRAMMED TO RECOGNIZE THIS COLOR."

Nonetheless, it felt a sense of pride in its discoveries that fed its ever-growing ego. This calmed the robot and made it feel fearless, and suddenly the open world didn't seem so far away. That is, until something from the shade grasped the automaton's leg and earned a now habitual and familiar yelp from it. WX-78 thrashed, but the effort was useless. There was nothing there. It could have sworn it felt just fine earlier, it couldn't be going insane already. WX-78 looked up and around, and to its dismay, could not remember the direction it was heading in. What's almost worse, it could not remember the direction it had been "grabbed" from. If the robot was to continue in one direction, there were five right answers. Three may lead WX-78 backwards, and one, in the direction of the grabby hands. It decided a better idea would be to just climb a tree and see the world from the open air.

Hesitantly placing a hand on the nearest tree trunk, the robot recoiled immediately. It was damp; they probably all were. If WX-78 were to scale the tree in success, it would still have to find a way to sort through the leaves at the top, which were most likely wet. Even then, if it didn't seem like much, grabbing ahold of those branches would shake the leaves and send a shower of stale rain water upon the automaton. Not very healthy. In the middle of pondering the worse, the robot, despite being a walking shell of metal, felt breathing on the back of its neck. It spun around and lashed out with a fist, only to be greeted with nothing but a distant giggle. "IDENTIFY YOURSELF." It shouted, frantically searching for a rock or a stick.

The laughter was distant, and WX-78 felt it wasn't worth following. What good could that bring? If it truly _was_ a human, why would WX-78 want to be around them? Even if their presence was challenging and lulled the robot's attention closer, WX preferred sticking to any safer route. It picked the opposite direction of the noise and began to walk. The air became cold and heavy, and the sunlight dotting the ground grew dim. Spotlights danced weakly through the forest's roof, threatening to dissipate at any given moment. The presence of the human became stronger, as if it were standing right behind the automaton, as well as all around it. As if it were omnipresent.

 _"I was only messing with you."_ A familiar feminine voice whispered from above, and WX-78 looked up to see glinting eyes in the tree branches. "YOUR FORM IS UNCLEAR. APPROACH THE LIGHT OR BE TERMINATED." It barked, and the eyes narrowed. The robot could feel her smiling. _"You're unarmed?"_ She reminded it. _"You couldn't hurt me if you wanted to."_ She earned an arrogant huff as the robot glared up at her. "YOU CAN NOT PROVE THAT STATEMENT." It took a step back, refusing to look away from her predator-like aura. If she _was_ a threat, WX-78 would just flee. It doubted she had any ranged weapons. "I'll just take a closer look." She said, and the robot whirled around to face the young woman standing now behind him with her arms behind her back. WX-78 jumped away, shrieking. Her warm smile remained, but her eyes showed concern now as they jabbed at the automaton. "You have to remember me, hon. We just met last night."

And she was right, in the middle of her speech WX-78 recalled the tall, mysterious woman from... last night? _I WAS OFFLINE FOR ONE NIGHT? THAT IS ALL?_ The robot clenched its fists, still moving away from her. She scoffed at its body language. "Really dear, I wouldn't go through the trouble of bringing you back and generating a new world for you just to stab you in the back _here!_ " She gracefully floated through the dark like a ghost, approaching WX-78. Her dress seemed to bleed into the ground by her feet, twisting around her body like a coiled snake. Her gloved hands now held each other before her black, lipstick-stained smile. The rose in her hair seemed to be the only thing in the forest glowing now, as if it were a beacon and sucked the light from day. "You're staying here." She said coldly. "It's the only way we can stay in touch twenty-four-seven." Receiving nothing but silence and the occasional _ticking_ signifying the robot's struggle to think rationally, she continued. "I can't hurt you during the day. I mean, I won't... I could." WX-78's optical sensors reflected the dying light splitting the tree tops, and eyed her nervously. She lowered her hands to her sides and sighed. "I'll walk with you in the afternoon. It's noon right now, if you haven't noticed," she frowned. "But come night, you're on your own. I told you last night, I have a job to do. I lose myself, I'm dangerous in the dark."

The robot gave her a puzzled and disgusted look. She blinked, then gasped. "That's _not_ an innuendo!" She snapped. "I'll literally kill you!" Grabbing ahold of itself, WX-78 spoke over her. "IDENTIFY YOURSELF." _This again?_ She chuckled. "You can call me Charlie." The response was too plain, and the robot wanted more. "WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?" She seemed to perk up for a moment, and her eyes fluttered. "Oh!" She grinned in delight like a school girl. "Well I was born in California, around the early 20th century. That's where I met William! Goodness, what handsome man, I-" The robot snorted in frustration. "WHAT PART OF THIS WORLD DO YOU ORIGINATE FROM?" Her smile fell crooked. "Ah... well," Charlie tapped the ground with the front of her shining black high heels. "er... The Codex Umbra... I suppose." The shine in WX-78's "eyes" forced her to exhale sharply. _Why'd I say that?_ She mentally prepared herself for a wave of questions. "CONTINUE. WHAT IS THIS COW DECKS UMBRELLA?" Her eyes became half-lidded and she grunted. "Codex. Umbra." She hissed. "It's a book filled with dark magic. Well, that's what _William_ said, before it turned out to be just a big shadowy hand that _dragged us both down to_ _hell!_ " She finished her statement, driving her fist into the palm of her other hand in fury. Her eyes, for an instant, glowed with betrayal and anger. WX-78's "graceful ghost" seemed to be a vengeful spirit.

"YOU ARE CONFUSING ME, MEAT WORM. STOP YELLING AND SPEAK CLEARLY." She shot the robot a glare that breathed hellfire. "Look, I've said too much. It's none of your business what happened to us! You just need to do as I say, and none of it will matter once you're out of here." WX-78 crossed its arms, the sound of scraping metal echoing around them. Who was she to tell it what to do? It was doing just fine on its own... until it died, but that's beside the point. "I DEMAND MORE INFORMATION." Charlie's rose seemed to wither with impatience. "Here's some info- Your ass is gonna get moving and you're gonna build a shelter or I'll _drag_ the sun down myself _right now_!" Shadowy tendrils burst from the earth and her arm swiped through the air as she exclaimed, the dark ropes crashing into a nearby tree and sending it flying into another. The robot scrambled up against the tree behind it in shock. "T-THIS IS AN ACCEPTABLE AMMOUNT OF INFORMATION." It stammered.

Unfortunately, WX-78 preferred to travel and not stay in one place for too long. Because of this, it didn't know where to start. The machinery inside the robot whirred in a panic, while it began searching the ground for raw materials. Charlie smirked, and the tendrils slithered back into the ground. Her hand dropped to her hip and she waltzed over to the robot's side. While startled, the automaton was clearly infuriated. Surely her position as "alpha" wouldn't last for more than ten minutes, but she had more tricks up her sleeve. She has Maxwell to thank for that. She did feel for the robot, though. It's not WX's fault that it's stubborn, careless, rude, loud, hateful, arrogant, ignorant, judgmental, annoying... The list goes on and on. Or maybe it was. But as far as she knows, all a robot knows is programmed into it by someone else. And whoever programmed WX-78 was a damn nut.

"We don't have all day, hon." She chirped. "In fact, I'd say there's only an hour of daylight left." The robot looked up at her, its face full of anger and fear, with a hint of helplessness. She laughed, kneeling down to meet its gaze at eye-level. "Sticks and grass, dear. That's all you need tonight. Go get some and meet me back here if you have to wander away." Her hand brushed over the robots reassuringly, before she stepped away and leaned back into the darker shadows that the forest cast over them. WX-78 flinched at her touch and squirmed in disgust, standing up. " _MEAT BAG._ " It spat under its breath. "I heard that."

Of course Charlie wouldn't let WX-78 out of her sight, anything could happen to the poor thing. She, being omnipresent at her own will, had already mapped out the entire universe around them. WX-78 was the only one with her, and the forest never ended. She mentally placed a marker where she was supposed to be, waiting, and vanished into the dark to stalk the automaton. As she watched the robot struggle to find any dry and dead grass, she sighed. _The dead stuff doesn't just grow out of the ground anymore, stupid_. While most trees seemed pretty generic and identical, some bore fruit and others birch nuts and pods. She swam up to the heavens above the robot's head, where she knocked a pod to the ground by its feet. WX-78 leapt back, as the pod split in half and its contents spilled. A bundle of dry, dead, and yellow grass rolled onto the dirt and unfurled itself slowly. _Say it. It's a grass pod. Pretty cheesy, huh? I came up with it myself. Took a while to convince Will to use it._ Charlie thought to herself, smiling from the shade of the tree tops.

"IT IS A GRASS POD." The robot echoed, observing the shell and grass tuft in each hand. "HOW CLICHÉ." Although she had just admitted it herself, she still felt a pang of hurt from hearing it come out of the robot's mouth. The robot looked up and she squeaked in surprise, quickly disappearing. It saw the pods in the tree and concluded that this was its new method of gathering materials. Although WX-78 had, technically, died... it still remembered how to refine certain materials. WX twisted the grass into a long, thin, rope and feebly attempted to lasso another pod down. The rope shot about two feet into the air before slowly falling to the ground. A mechanical noise escaped the robot's mouth, one that Charlie could only assume was a sigh of defeat _. Fine. Lazy pile of junk._ Another pod fell mysteriously to the ground, but not before hitting the automaton over the head. WX-78 yelped, looking up to see nothing. It angrily kicked the pod, allowing it to burst into another bundle of grass. "THIS WILL SUIT MY NEEDS." It concluded, gathering the grass and heading back in the direction of Charlie.

"What took you so long?" She quipped, looking off into the distance as the robot approached her with heavy footsteps. "YOU SAID I HAD AN HOUR. OF COURSE, I STAYED FAR AWAY FROM YOU FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE." She rolled her eyes, gesturing for WX-78 to come closer and give her the materials. The robot hesitantly handed her the grass from the pods, then the sticks it had found digging through the dirt on its way back.

"When I said sticks, I meant branches. These are too small." WX-78 leaned against a tree. "I DID NOT NEED A LARGE SHELTER ANYWAYS. THAT IS WHY YOU ARE INFERIOR TO ME, FLESHLING." Charlie shot him a challenging glare, before dropping the materials onto the ground. "I'll be right back. Don't tell Max I did this for you." WX-78 growled to itself as she sunk into the earth, as if it were tar.

* * *

Charlie crawled out from the shade of a tree like The Grudge, observing the young woman strolling through the woods by her camp. She hummed to herself, occasionally stopping to burn down a tree or two. A skinny, bearded man in his thirties tagged along behind her, warning her to be careful, telling her to stop before they both got hurt while he eyed their life-giving amulets. _Nice hair, loser_. She thought to herself as she slinked into the shadows of dusk by their feet. "Wilson, come _on_! You know this is my thing. Wouldn't want me going insane again, you remember what happened the last time you took my lighter away from me." Disgruntled, the man scratched his head nervously. "Yeah, we died yesterday. That doesn't make it okay to-" She interrupted him, turning to face him and letting her guard down for the approaching grue. "In fact, if you want to let me stay out late tonight, I might have a naughty little surprise for you when we get back to camp~!" Wilson coughed into his hand, avoiding her gaze. _Get a room, guh_. Charlie summoned a tendril by Willow's foot, which traveled up the back of her leg to snatch the lighter hanging off of her skirt. Charlie, along with the lighter, disappeared into the ground. Willow sniggered, lowering her hand to grab her lighter. She patted her hip, finding nothing. "Wha-?" She shot Wilson a glare and slapped him _. "Again?!"_ She screamed. "Give it back!"

* * *

WX-78 sat by the trunk of the tree, poking at the dirt like a distracted child at their first soccer practice. Charlie shot up from the ground, the lighter in her hands. "WHERE-" She shushed the robot, placing it into its hands. "Again," she looked behind her. "Don't tell Maxwell." She giggled into her gloved hand, floating away. "If you can't build a shelter- and lord knows you can't start a fire yourself (I certainly can't) - then you'll have to start one with this." WX-78 carefully observed the lighter. "I WAS PERFECTLY CAPABLE, YOU ARE ONLY MAKING THIS EASIER FOR ME." Charlie mouthed the automaton's words mockingly, a shadowy hand violently shooting up from the ground to act as a sarcastic hand puppet as the robot spoke. The robot froze in horror, dropping the lighter. "You're no fun!" She squawked, the hand dissipating into thin air.

Kicking the grass and sticks to the robot's side, she walked up to it. "Well? What are ya waitin' for?" WX scrambled for the lighter, pushing the scraps far in front of it before kneeling over them. Hovering over WX-78, Charlie watched in disappointment as the robot struggled to use the lighter. Feeling her looming overhead, it threw the lighter across the floor. "IT IS BROKEN." WX spat, crossing its arms and sitting back against the tree. "What are you, five?" She muttered. "...TWO." This made her chuckle, and she picked the lighter up off of the ground. "Do I _have_ to baby you? Just press your thumb down here." She pointed to the cam on the lighter and handed it back to WX-78. "I KNEW THAT. IT WAS BROKEN FOR A FEW SECONDS." It said, earning a lengthy sigh. "I-IT WAS! IT FIXED ITSELF WHEN I THREW IT." Charlie looked away. "Mhm," she mumbled.

Quickly, and without any warning, the light of a fire rocketed into the air, sending Charlie flying backwards. "Hey!" She yelled, clutching her chest in surprise. "IS THIS NOT WHAT YOU WANTED?" The robot asked, a smug grin hiding behind the light of the fire. "A little warning next time! That really _hurt_." She tucked her hair back into place, moving further from the burning glow. "IS THIS HUMAN SARCASM?" WX-78 asked, eyes half-lidded as it scooted back against the tree. "I'm the darkness you _idiot_!" She roared. "Light hurts me! I'm like oil in water; we can't touch!" The robot waved her off. "I CAN RELATE TO THIS, I AM ALSO MOSTLY OIL." Charlie bit her lip and crossed her arms. Realizing her makeup was beginning to fade, she groaned. "Ooh...," she fumbled in the dark. "I'm starting to look like that mime." As the sun finally sank into the horizon, she exhaled slowly. "See you in the morning, poopfart." She joked before fading into the heavy darkness that suddenly spilled into the forest. "YOU ARE THE POOP FART!" The robot retorted, but was met with chilling silence.


	3. Brand-New Beasts

**Short Chapter: Night One**

WX-78 stared out into the distance. The weight of the dark hurt its optical sensors; the feeling of uneasiness hung in the air leaving the robot with its thoughts. Eyeing the fire, it rose its knees to its chest. If Charlie was willing to cheat for WX, then surely she had no bad intentions if the fire happened to go out. She _did_ say she had a job, though. But how could _she_ be the monster in the dark? "FLESHLING?" The automaton's voice echoed vastly, to its surprise, making the dark feel empty. It was as if the entire forest had been drowned in a starless nebula. All senses of belonging suddenly vanished. The eerie quiet was met with a _snap_. Must have been a twig, it's what the robot assumed, but not before flinching. WX-78 could feel its body lock up, its servos going haywire and its fists tighten around its metal legs.

Watching the dark for what seemed like ages, WX-78 detected no sign of life. It lowered its gaze to the fire, which appeared much, much smaller. But then, to the robot's dismay, a shuffling arose from the night just inches away from the glowing fire's radius. Gears whirring in horror, WX-78 felt an artificial adrenaline coarse through its wiring. Sinking into itself, the robot was ready to flee, when a soft glow emerged from the curtains of black and hovered in the air before the robot's tense form. "WHAT IS THAT?" The automaton blurted out, pointing at it. It swayed hypnotically, fully capturing WX-78's curiosity. "ARE YOU ORGANIC? COME HERE SO I CAN EAT YOU." The robot rose, creeping slowly towards the drifting bulb. Forgetting it had kept the rope in its lap, WX-78 let it fall into the flames of the fire. Bursting to life, but only for a moment, it illuminated the maw of a large black bear.

WX-78 stood, frozen, as the beast returned its gaze. Then, rising to its full height, it rose its front legs to the air and unleashed an earth-shattering roar. The bulb shot up, and WX-78 could see now that it was attached to the bear's forehead, hanging by a wire of flesh. The robot yelled out, hastily scrambling up the nearby tree. Trembling and slipping, WX-78 held onto the trunk of the ancient birch for dear life. Grunting and huffing, the monster slammed its weight into the tree, shaking it, but had no chance of knocking it over. Looking down, WX observed its attacker.

The bear's fur was dark as the night. It had sunken eyes that failed to reflect the fire's light. Spiny cobalt fins spread down the back of its arms and legs, and a large caudal protruded from its rear in place of a typical bear's tail. Its hanging jaw was large, and overall, the beast sharply resembled an anglerfish. Snapping shining white teeth into the bark of the tree, it gnawed away at the wood with ease. "STOP THAT." WX-78 spat. It angrily moaned and growled in response, slamming a heavy paw into the tree. Glistening black claws sank into the birch, and the bear attempted to lift itself off of the ground. "NO! BAD URSIDAE!" WX screamed, as the animal propped its hind legs successfully onto the trunk and swiped at it. "PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR ROUTINE OF SLEEPING AND DEFACATING." Roaring, it launched itself up a few feet, snapping at the automaton's heels. _I CAN HANDLE THIS_. WX-78 thought.

Lashing out with its metal foot, WX-78 kicked at the bear's muzzle. The bear's dripping jaws shut on the entire lower half of WX's leg _. I CAN NOT HANDLE THIS!_ WX-78 shrieked. "HUMAN! HUMAN, WHERE ARE YOU?!" It yelled out, with no response. The bear began to unsheathe its claws, sliding down the tree with the robot in its teeth. "HUMAN!" WX-78 wailed, its fingers peeling the bark they dug into. Thrashing its head, the bear dragged them closer towards the soil. Tightening its grip on WX-78's leg, the robot shouted in a mixture of pain and white noise, "CH **A** RL **IE**!"

A group of shadowy spines shot through the shadow the bear casted, most hooking the over-sized fish by the scruff. The bear cried out, letting go of its hold on the automaton. They coiled tightly into the bear and yanked it with outstanding force back into the dark. The tendrils that missed and struck the tree retreated with it. WX-78 dropped to the ground with a loud _clank_. It lay on its back, staring at the empty sky. Turning its head to face the tree, WX saw that it was littered with claw and bite marks. Wait… were those words? Catching its breath, the robot rose and kneeled close to the inscription in the wood.

" _I won't save you again."_

WX-78 sighed heavily, letting itself fall back onto the ground. In a cloud of thoughts and questions, the robot managed to find rest.


	4. Birds of Paradise

The wind carried the cold of the night over to morning, and as it blew over the foliage the forest cringed. Colorful, small, and vibrant songbirds migrated through the tree tops, waking the world around them. Eyes of all kinds fluttered open to greet the light of day, and waited anxiously for their turn to greet the android that still lay sprawled in the dirt sleeping. As dawn became noon, the elegant Charlie rose from the shade to check up on WX-78.

Drifting, she hovered over the robot's still form and crossed her arms. She brought the heel of her shoe down upon WX's flank, and in response the automaton only shifted in the soil. _How do you wake up a robot?_ She wondered, looking around her. Hitting it with something else may work, but she didn't want to put a dent in the poor thing. She looked up, staring at the roof of the forest, and smiled. Submerging herself into the dark, she traveled up the worn-and-torn birch tree. She carefully raised her hand to the mass of leaves and shook them. A shower of stale rain water hit WX-78 below, and even from up there, she could still see the burst of electricity and hear its scream. She descended upon the ground at a safe distance. "Good morni- er, afternoon!"

WX-78 shot up to face her, steam and smoke spilling in small amounts from its eyes and mouth as it shook away the water. "YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" She bit her lip and grinned. "AND THE BEAR," WX whined. "WHY ARE BEARS HERE?" Charlie shifted excitedly, giggling. "I know! Didn't it look cool? William and I are having so much fun with the dashboard lately." WX-78 slapped its hands onto its head in dismay. "WHAT DASHBOARD!? WHO IS WILLIAM?" Charlie rested her hand on her cheek and sat back into a chair of shadows that surfaced from the dark of the shade. She placed her elbow on the arm of the chair and beamed at the automaton. "It's been so long since we had such a good time together. You got him to _laugh_ last night, you know that? You're so lucky, too! If he wasn't in such a good mood, I might not have been able to spare you." WX-78's arms dropped to its sides as it exhaled deeply.

"YOU MENTIONED ESCAPING YESTERDAY." It said, looking at her expectantly. Her hand fell to her lap as she crossed one leg over the other. "Oh, right. About that," She moved a strand of hair out of her face. "I don't think you've noticed, but we've replaced _all_ of the animals and plants. Finding a way out might take a while. That includes the birds, the bees, the… the spiders…. Uh…." She seemed to struggle with her thoughts, as if she'd never really payed attention to the world around her. "Buffalo? Beef cows? Oh! Beefalo. Those are gone." WX-78 gave her a look of concern. "HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO OBTAIN SUSTENANCE?" She grinned. "I dunno~." She teased, swinging her feet over the other arm of the chair, her eyes shining. "I WILL NOT TOLERATE THESE MIND GAMES."

"What mind games? Can you just _try_ hunting? You'll more than likely find something out there." The robot snorted, placing its hands on its knees as it leaned forwards. "I AM PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED." Charlie tsked. A murky black hand emerged from the dark by the automaton's feet and gripped its shoulder. WX-78 glared at it, attempting to shake it off in disgust. It forced the robot to turn and face the other direction. "I'm not going to ask again." The hand released its grip and pushed WX-78 forwards. The robot stumbled and glanced at her. Looking around, it picked up the nearest rock. "I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING." It barked, pointing at it. The automaton angrily marched off.

Charlie sighed, dropping down with her seat and allowing the shadows to engulf her once more as she tagged along in secrecy. WX-78 wasn't lying when it said it was exhausted, and it occasionally stopped to lean against a tree and stretch. Recalling the night before, the robot had gained the habit of looking over its shoulder. Charlie accepted the fact she would have to be more careful sneaking around and leading WX-78 into traps; the animatronic was becoming suspicious of her anyways and was now fully aware of the power she had… to some extent. She did _help_ run the "game", and being Maxwell's assistant, was very influential to the man himself. If she wanted a player dead, Maxwell could arrange it, most of the time. As free-spirited as that sounds, though, ultimately things are up to Them, and if They protest then William Carter must obey. They spoke to Charlie as well, and she would heed Their word too, only not as well as the man who had nothing better to do than sit in a nightmare throne all day and watch young women undress through a crystal ball. Nonetheless, Maxwell was hard-headed and felt his position on the throne was a powerful one.

They still managed to have fun, and WX-78's case was a breakthrough for both of them. She clung to the shadows of a tree, watching the robot walk past it from above. WX-78 trudged past the trees bearing grass pods, and came to a small clearing. The light filtered through the forest and rested as a spotlight upon a large bird's nest. Charlie tensed with anticipation. Upon the nest rested an egg that could easily be estimated the same size as WX-78's head. Resting on that egg was a clawed foot. WX-78's eyes trailed up the foot, which was connected to a long bent leg. The leg jutted out from a feathery black bird's torso. WX-78 had stolen from tallbirds before, but this certainly was _not_ a tallbird. It was much shorter and actually had a bird's body shape. It balanced on the egg like a flamingo. It had wings far too large for its body, and its feathery neck held no head, only a beak protruded from it. Not a single eyeball could be seen anywhere on the bird's body. It had a tail, too, which was long and reached the ground, curling at the tips of each feather. The tips of its tail and beak were a bright pink, as were its primary and secondary wing feathers. Maxwell, who watching from the nightmare throne, proudly echoed the name they had given it. "Charlie's Bird of Paradise." His deep voice rang through the dark.

Unsure if the bird could see it, WX slowly approached the nest with caution. Its presence wasn't exactly intimidating, and WX-78 could easily face it with only the fear of being scratched or pecked. Positioning itself to snatch the egg from under the bird's foot, WX-78 stepped on a twig. The bird flinched and snapped its neck in the robot's direction, opening its beak and letting out an odd and terrifying bird call. WX-78 yelled out in surprise, dropping the rock and hunkering down to pull the egg out from underneath the bird with all of its might. The bird cried out in distress, losing its balance as the automaton ran off with the heavy spoils.

Tallbirds have long legs that allow them to easily gain on their attackers and prey. They cannot fly due to their pathetic wing size. Birds of Paradise, however, have wings so large and heavy they can't carry their own weight on their legs. It shrieked at WX from the ground, flapping its massive wingspan and picking itself up with ease.

They are excellent flyers.

Running, WX-78 grinned wildly and looked behind it. The joy was immediately replaced with sheer horror as it saw the bird gaining fast. Its wingspan blocked out the sun from the tree tops, its claws at the ready, seeming far larger than before and twice as menacing. If those talons could wrap around the top of the egg, they could easily crush WX's head. Charlie followed, but her laughter couldn't be heard over the volume of the bird's cries. WX-78 looked forwards _. I ONLY HAVE TO MAKE IT INTO THE THICKER PART OF THE FOREST._ It thought. _THEN IT CAN NOT CHASE ME_.

Jumping over rocks and narrowly avoiding some roots, WX-78 stole another glace at the Bird of Paradise. It was almost right above the robot, it could feel the air under the bird's wings and see the plant life around them violently bend and sway with the wind. WX-78 began screaming over the bird's frantic cries. A clawed foot shot through the sky over the automaton's head, but WX-78 swerved out of the way. Charlie's Bird of Paradise slowed for an instant before regaining its momentum. Watching from Charlie's eyes, Maxwell grinned, leaning forwards in his seat. "Come on!" He yelled, his voice echoing through the hallway of darkness. "Prove to me that you're dangerous enough for the rest of them!"

Charlie howled with delight as the monstrous avian beast landed a blow over the robot's head, sparks flying into the air as WX-78 fell forwards. The egg broke its fall, yet remained unbroken. Thankful it had such a hard shell, WX-78 staggered to its feet. The bird swung itself around, its talons grasping the trees above. It flapped its wings and shrieked again, pushing off of the tree trunk and diving down towards WX. "Kill!" Charlie shouted, echoing Maxwell as her eyes became wide with excitement. She tore through the dark towards them, not wanting to miss a second of the bird's furious endeavor. _"Kill the robot!"_

WX-78's mind was stirring with thoughts as it leapt to the side, avoiding another attack. The automaton desperately wanted to raise a hand to its head and inspect the injury, but refused to let go of the egg. The bird's talons took a concerning size of dirt out of the ground as it missed its target. It rolled forwards, feathers flying and wings tangling with foliage. Wx-78 scrambled through the trees. Brain clouded with Maxwell's fury and bloodlust, the bird unleashed a scream that sent a tremor through the earth and violently shook away the dust and debris. With a clattering beak and aching talons, Charlie's Bird of Paradise soared into the air and followed the robot's scent.

It reeked of fear.

WX-78 panted and wheezed as it sprinted through the undergrowth; the egg's weight began to falter the robot's speed. The robot felt the forest become thicker as it ran, and WX-78 began to laugh in relief. When the trees felt close enough, WX-78 slowed and looked over its shoulder. Huffing, the bird flapped its wings quickly and forcefully, pulling leaves from the trees as they swirled around it in a hurricane. It pulled dirt from the ground as it flew over the earth, catching up faster than ever. The robot narrowed its eyes at the bird. Surely it wouldn't fit through the trees where WX-78 stood. It took a few steps back and waited, a smug grin on its face. Charlie leapt and swam through the dark. She saw the robot beam with confidence and so did Max. They both roared, at the top of their lungs,

" _Dive!"_

Folding its wings, the bird yowled, stretching its neck out to bite. WX-78's grin faded. The robot screamed, whirling around to run away. The bird would have landed right on top of WX if it hadn't have moved, and it plummeted to the soil, sending a wave of dirt into the air. WX-78 stumbled as the ground shook, but still managed to avoid the snapping beak as the bird slid through the undergrowth towards it. It slowed to a halt, choking out one last cry of dismay as it extended its claws in an attempt to crawl. Maxwell's muscles relaxed and the man huffed in disappointment. Leaning back into the nightmare throne, his glare burned into the bird's mind. "Don't even try anymore, bird-brain. You've failed me."

Charlie slowed by the bird's struggling form, glaring as well. Then she shook _. What was I thinking?_ She felt Maxwell's anger leave her body. As wonderful as their creations are, she should be helping WX-78. Even if Maxwell wanted so badly for the robot to die, having WX-78 "escape" was for his own good. She watched as her "Bird of Paradise" flopped onto its side pathetically, crawling towards the denser tree line. WX-78 laughed again over its shoulder. "STUPID FLESH BEAST!" It shouted, nuzzling the egg with glee. The robot slowed to a walk.

* * *

After WX-78 felt that it had distanced itself enough from the creature it had stolen from, it sat with the egg under the shelter of a birchnut tree that stretched to the heavens. Occasionally, a little laugher escaped the robot's mouth as it remembered the bird struggle on the ground. "That's cute, I didn't know you could laugh." Charlie cooed, emerging from behind another tree. WX-78 looked up at her, attempting to wipe the smile from its face. "IF I AM CORRECT, I HEARD YOU SHOUTING AT THAT WORM TO KILL ME." Charlie shifted uncomfortably. "I-I don't recall saying anything." She blinked. Her eyes went wide as they stared at WX-78, who now glared at her. "I KNEW YOU WERE FOLLOWING ME." She grinned sheepishly, stepping back behind the tree with only her head poking out and her hand resting on the bark. "I…"

"I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF, FEMALE HOMINID. I DO NOT NEED YOUR HELP, OR FOR YOU TO HELP THE MONSTERS." Charlie exhaled sharply, her hand sliding down the tree trunk. "I'm sorry." WX-78's glare faltered into a look of surprise. "WHAT?" Charlie glowered at the robot, pouting. "I said I'm sorry." WX-78 sunk into the ground, tired. "I MUST BE HEARING THINGS." She snorted, avoiding its gaze. "That's too bad. I'm not saying it again." The robot smiled to itself, holding the egg close. "I WOULD GATHER MATERIALS, BUT I AM WORN OUT." Charlie frowned. "Fine." She slithered into the dark to go find some.


	5. Dreamers

WX-78 shrunk down against the shelter of the tree. Resting an arm protectively over the large egg by its side, the robot began to drift off into sleep. Just then, a mass of logs and rocks crashed through the forest and across the clearing the android sat in. WX leapt up in surprise, double-taking. Charlie strolled into sight, her small hand covered by a (far larger) shadowy mass of claws. "Done. But I'm being serious now when I say I'm not helping you anymore."

"IT IS NOT "HELPING" ME, IT IS DOING ME A FAVOR. YOU OWED ME."

"Well it's kind of my _job_ to hurt you, hon. I didn't have to do anything." She shook her dress of any dirt that might have been on it. " _Your_ empathy thing might be broken, but I'm still human." WX-78 stared at her in bewilderment. That was none of her business! "WHO TOLD YOU ABOUT MY EMPATHY MODULE?" Charlie tilted her head. "I run this town too, y'know. I know everything Maxwell does. We're well aware that you're broken." WX-78 shot her a glare. "I AM NOT BROKEN! I DO NOT WANT THE EMPATHY MODULE, I DO NOT _NEED_ IT!"

"Oh, you need it alright. I'm getting sick of you, we should have just taken the mime." She sulked, looking away. Of course she didn't mean that, she found the robot's stubborn attitude very entertaining…. only when she broke it. Nonetheless, a player this ignorant and easy to spook was quite charming _. And any robot's cuter than the Canadian dolt that hit on me the last time we tried this_. The thought of the unkempt woodsman made her scowl and shiver. That was _one_ player Maxwell decided wasn't worth putting back together after a "tragic" and "sudden" hound attack.

"WHAT IS THIS _MIME_?" Charlie stiffened. "It's nothing." This earned her a familiar glare. "STOP KEEPING INFORMATION FROM ME," WX-78 pointed at her. "I DESERVE TO KNOW ABOUT THE MIME." She smirked, sitting back into another shadowy seat as the dark of dusk melted from her fingers. "I thought you knew everything." The automaton froze, clutching its fists. WX-78's mouth shut. Charlie blinked in surprise, staring at the robot expectantly. After a long silence, the robot croaked, "I DO."

"Apparently no-"

"I JUST FORGOT FOR A MINUTE!" WX-78 looked down, pressing a hand to its face _. I AM OVERHEATING AND IT IS HER FAULT! SHE COULD HAVE PARADOXXED ME!_ While the robot was really just flushed in embarrassment, what Charlie had said wasn't anything close to a "paradox", and WX was in denial of the fact that it was, indeed, mortal and lacking knowledge of things. "Wow. I'll stop talking." She held back laughter, rising to her feet and sinking away. "THAT IS RIGHT. GO AWAY, PEASANT."

As the robot was about to turn around and start working with the materials Charlie had gathered, a large birch nut nailed it over the head. "I KNOW THAT IS YOU AS WELL!" it shouted angrily, pointing at the sky.

The automaton shakily lifted the logs and branches, leaning them against a tree in a crappy attempt to craft a shelter. It huffed, standing still and catching its breath. To its side was the bird egg, and just the sight of it made the robot's stomach growl. But the sheer size of it begged the question, how will WX cook the whole thing? Not to mention, if the entirety of the robot's weight could not so much as scratch the egg's shell, how would it go about breaking it? WX-78 raised a hand to its forehead to rub it, and felt something protruding from the metal. In a panic, the robot yanked the object out, squeaking. Inspecting it in its hands, the robot's face twisted into a look of genuine shock. It was a large, curved, black talon. "FOR THE LOVE OF HEPHAESTUS…" It looked back over to the egg and got a cheesy idea.

Driving the point of the talon into the shell, the robot's blow bounced back and it stumbled, falling onto its butt. "HOW WOULD A NESTLING EVEN BREAK OUT OF THIS STUPID ORGANIC ARMOR?" A burst of steam escaped WX-78's mouth as it exhaled in frustration. "HUMAN."

"Yes!" Charlie shouted, falling gracefully out of the tree above the automaton's head. "I REQUIRE ANOTHER FAVOR." Charlie lowered her gaze to the android, crossing her arms and biting the lip of her smug grin. _"Already?"_ she teased, her voice dripping with mockery. Before the robot could bite back, she spoke first. "Why do I "owe" you _this_ time?" WX-78's hand trailed down the back of its head. "BECAUSE… YOU TRAPPED ME HERE. IN THIS WORLD. YOU WILL ALWAYS OWE ME!" Charlie sneered. "I didn't trap you here, _you're_ the damn moron that built the door and pulled the lever." She turned away from the robot, huffing. WX-78 muttered something under its breath and punched the egg, earning a large _crack_. Charlie stiffened, slowly turning her head to peek over her shoulder. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" WX moaned at the egg, rolling it onto its side as its contents spilled.

* * *

"So what's special about it?" Maxwell uttered, raising his eyebrows at the impressive sketch of a bird. "It flies, but it can't walk." Charlie said, tapping her finger over it. "I see what you're trying to do, my dear assistant. But if it can fly, what's keeping it from chasing the player into oblivion? Tallbirds get tired because their bodies are compressed and their organs are small, but this… thing… is built like an avian athlete. Is it blind? I'm not sure if that's enough balancing." Charlie raised her hand to her chin. "Let's make its wings really big, so it can't fly into thick forests without crashing. It'll encourage the player to replant trees, too." Maxwell grunted in approval. "Very well." He placed a gloved and boney hand on the sheet of paper, pushing it away from him. "Any special quirks?" he asked, sitting back in his shadowy seat as the black tendrils reclaimed his wrists. Charlie hummed, leaning over the table of darkness. A shadowy hand scratched her head for her. "How about- no- Give me a second." Her eyes darted between the bird and its egg, and she shrugged. "I think I have something."

"Go on." Maxwell breathed, tapping the arm of the nightmare throne. "We'll test how dangerous it is on the robot, like we said. It'll be in the cooperative world, though. For more than one player. Let's say it's a special little gift for players fighting other players." Maxwell blinked, his cigar twitching in his mouth. He watched her expectantly. "Since the players are going to make a big habit of dying, they'll probably be willing to work with throwing their lives away to get what they want when they're resurrected by the jury-rigged portal. Let's say my "Bird of Paradise" only lays an egg once it's killed a player. It swallows them whole, like an owl," she continued, gesturing with her hands an owl swooping through the air. "Then their bones are broken down and become the egg shell. Then when they think they can just die and come back to run off with the egg and last longer with a little food, they won't be able to break it. It's thick and made of bones! The players with good equipment will be able to break the egg with a tool or something."

Maxwell chuckled. "Slow down! That's too much. How would the players know that the eggs are made of bones?" Charlie sighed. "The same way they'd know if tentacles were in a swamp or not. Looking. Let's have the bird cough up some bones after it eats a dead guy for a visual affect. And make sure teeth are noticeable in the shell. Only after it's killed someone, though." Maxwell smiled at her, a puff of smoke escaping his cold lips. "That's downright unpleasant. It still feels like too much, though." She circled around the nightmare throne, her hands behind her head. Leaning over Maxwell, she plucked the cigar from his mouth and took a long drag. Holding it in-between her fingers, she looked off into the dark as he shot her a tired look of annoyance. "Then scrap it. We've got all the time in the world, and I've been thinking a lot about this," she said, the smoke spilling from her black lipstick-stained mouth. "Charlie," Maxwell croaked. "And it's not every day that They let us do something like this, you know what I mean? I was gettin' sick of sulking around in the dark all day."

"Charlie."

"Not even being able to walk around in the afternoon with a sound mind was really upsetting. The time we tried leading the Canadian guy here didn't count, though. He drove me _insane_."

"Charlie!" Maxwell barked, and she whirled around, her dress spinning, swaying, and clinging back around her legs. "Yeah, hon?" she chirped. "My cigar, Charlie." She sniffed, mentally saying goodbye to it as she stuck it back into his mouth. "You poor man," she sighed. "Don't worry, Max. Once the tin can replaces you here, you can stretch your legs as long as you like-" She smiled, going silent for a moment as a black tendril burst through the stone ground and smashed into the gramophone by her feet. "-and not have to listen to that stupid song anymore. Ever." Maxwell sat still in his position, looking down at the ground by his feet. "Anglear and Charlie's Bird of Paradise," he echoed. Her eyelids lowered, her smile soft and quivering. "Yeah."

"Is that all?" He mumbled, an edge of sadness to his voice. Charlie bit back an unpleasant noise. "N-no, there's more. Always. I have _so many_ ideas." _I won't leave you yet._ She took a deep breath. "Let's test the "Anglear" tonight. I know WX isn't ready, but I'll take care of it once it gets out of hand." Maxwell nodded. "Sounds good, pal."

* * *

WX-78 hurriedly scraped and dragged the smaller chunks of wood into a pile, opening its chest compartment and taking Willow's lighter out. Charlie grimaced. "Aren't your guts in there, hon?" she asked, squeezing one arm. "YES." WX replied, sheltering the small flame that licked at the sticks with its hand. "Doesn't that… hurt?" She shivered. WX-78 never failed to disgust and annoy her. "NOT REALLY." She rolled her eyes, sitting in the dirt and resting her head in her hand like a sleepy college student. Once the fire grew, WX-78 stepped away to examine the egg. Taking one of the shell shards off of the ground, WX dusted it off and used it to scoop up the bleeding egg whites. It tied the longer end of the shell to a stick and held it over the fire, high enough so that the flames could not reach the rope it had used to tie them with. Charlie's eyes met the robot's, full of boredom. "ARE YOU NOT IMPRESSED?"

"No, not really." She looked down at the ground. "YOUR FILTHY HUMAN EMOTIONS ARE SHOWING," it yapped. She mumbled something, her gaze unmoving. "DO YOU WISH TO CONVERSATE?" WX-78 sat down on a log, looking in her direction. She scratched her neck, her eyes trailing up to the fire. It's been a long while since she'd gotten to feel the warmth of one of those. "What does it feel like?"

"WHAT DOES WHAT FEEL LIKE?" WX-78 glanced at the egg it was cooking, balancing it better and adjusting its grip on the stick. "Being near a fire." WX-78 paused, conflicted. "I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOUR ORDEAL WITH LIGHT," it muttered, pushing its elbows into its knees as it sat forwards. "IT IS WARM, I GUESS." She groaned, her voice full of longing. "I've forgotten what that's like."

"THAT SUCKS." WX-78 spat, having grown bored of speaking. She stood up, shaking her dress of the dirt. "Yeah," she sighed. "I know."


	6. Metal Melodies

WX-78 scanned the tops of the trees. The night had given the android no interesting events to recall, aside from the occasional whisper or rustle. WX-78 had crafted a crude grappling hook from egg shells and (thicker) rope, and had been knocking fruit down from the forest's roof all morning. Wearing a straw backpack, the automaton kneeled forwards to pick up the banana that had hit the ground. Another hand shot out from the nearby shrub and snatched it first. WX-78 jumped back, gripping the hook and pointing it at the bush threateningly. "SHOW YOURSELF!"

A snort escaped the bush, sending a couple leaves drifting to the ground. Two bushy ears perked, poking out of the top of the foliage. The robot remained frozen. A head poked out of the shrub, and two wide eyes stared back at the robot. It looked like a lemur, but it was far too large. Standing, it was almost twice WX-78's size. It was built like a pig, with a hunched back and short legs. Its mouth was hidden in a scarf of white fur, with only its black nose poking out above it. It had large white eyebrows and a strip of white fur down the side of each arm, which ended at its wrists. Its hands were black and hairless, topped off with pathetically small claws. It had a white belly, and the rest of it was grey, except for under its eyes, where two stripes of black sat like war paint. It grunted again, hiding the banana in its white collar of fur. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU APE?" WX-78 jabbed at the air. "GIVE THAT BACK TO ME!"

Grunting again, it lowered itself back into the bush. "I KNOW YOU ARE IN THERE, I AM NOT STUPID." WX-78 threw the hook at the bush, and it brushed the top of the leaves before sliding off onto the ground. "I HATE YOU."

Reaching into its bag, the robot grabbed an apple. It flailed its arm. The lemur peeked out of the bush again, sniffing. It stepped out of the shrub, twiddling its fingers. "WAIT," the automaton narrowed its eyes. "WHAT AM I DOING? I DO NOT WANT TO EAT THAT FRUIT ANYMORE." It stuck the apple in its bag, shooting the lemur a glare. It blinked at him expectantly, grunting. "YOU HAVE TAINTED THE BANANA WITH YOUR SMELLY FLESH SMELL. I DO NOT WISH TO SIDE WITH YOU."

It pushed WX-78 onto the ground, grabbed its backpack, and ran off into the forest. "SUCK MY FLASH DRIVE, YOU DUMB ANIMAL!" Charlie stepped out from behind a tree, her hand over her mouth in an attempt to contain laughter. "NO- _YOU_ GO AWAY." The robot barked, making a "shooing" hand gesture. She avoided the robot's eyes, the corners of her smile poking out from what her hand covered. Seething, WX-78 pulled on the rope until the hook was in its hands again. "You should try-," She snorted, chuckling for a moment. "-try being nice."

"OR," WX-78 began, standing up. "YOU COULD KILL IT WITH YOUR DUMB WITCH MAGIC." She sighed, the smile still plastered to her face. Lowering her hand, she swayed on her feet. "You know I can't do that. Stop acting like it's unfair, you deserved it." WX kicked a rock across the dirt. It stared into the direction the lemur had ran off in. Without acknowledging her further, the robot began to walk. She floated after him. She stopped with WX-78 when it bent over to examine the animal's tracks. "Suck my _flash drive_? What's a flash drive?" The robot turned its head to face her. Eyes trailing up her body, its metal mouth bent into a smirk. "WANT TO FIND OUT?" She blinked, scowling. "No, thanks. Never mind."

She could feel Maxwell laughing at her, and she mentally elbowed him. She also elbowed him, as in, a shadow hand elbowed him in his realm. He coughed and sputtered, his cigar falling to the ground. Charlie smiled to herself after the robot stood up and began to walk off again. "REALLY," WX-78 shrugged. "I CAN SHOW YOU LATER IF YOU WANT."

"No, no. No." She squeezed her gloved hands together. "No."

"SUIT YOURSELF," it said, waving her off. Casually swinging the grappling hook, the robot's eyes scanned the ground and followed the tracks towards its target. She rolled her eyes. _Real mature, Will._

* * *

Pushing the hanging leaves away, WX-78 gazed into a clearing. It was filled with grass huts, lined with leaves and decorated with colorful feathers and painted bones. The robot shrunk back, and Charlie peeked over its shoulder. "Don't be shy," she whispered, shoving it a tad. Hesitantly, WX stumbled into the light of the village. It was eerily quiet, not a soul in sight… except for the massive creature on its throne. WX-78 glowered at Charlie, who was beaming with pride. _I designed that!_ WX-78 could hear her enthusiastic shouting in its head, and it made the robot groan. It was painfully obvious now what purpose the lemurs would serve. The morbidly obese lemuridae sat on the straw chair, looking down at the robot with tired eyes. It had a straw crown and golden jewelry that could pay an American student's college debt.

So familiar. WX-78 trotted to the nearest straw house and threw the door open. "GIVE ME MY STUFF BACK." Dumbfounded, the lemur inside (who, was coincidentally the one that had mugged the robot) opened its mouth over its coat to hiss and bark in response. Its maw was enormous, it bore the teeth of a gorilla. "LOVELY." The robot held its hand out, unfazed. Yowling again, the lemur trudged through its home for the bag. After taking the fruits out, it threw it at WX-78, who caught it with the hand that had been suspended in the air expectantly. WX turned and left, leaving the door open. The lemur grunted. WX-78 marched angrily past Charlie, who was grinning and bouncing. "Are they good? Isn't it cool? They're cute, right-?" The robot leaned back to place a finger over her lips. "DO NOT SPEAK, YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW ANGRY I AM FOR HAVING HALF OF MY DAY WASTED."

Walking off in the direction of its camp, WX-78 didn't look back to check if she was following. Her smile faltered, her flower wilting comically. She looked down to the ground as she sunk into it.

* * *

"STUPID GIRL." WX-78 spat, plopping down by the ashes of last night's fire. The wood was burnt black and white, peeling off into the breeze. WX-78 glanced at the egg that was nearby, it looked stale. "IF SHE DID NOT HAVE TO LEAD ME TO HER DUMB CREATIONS, I WOULD BE MAKING ACTUAL PROGRESS."

" _ **I agree, friend**_." The robot jumped at the unfamiliar voice. A bolt hit WX-78 on the head, no larger than the nose of a mouse. WX-78 looked up, and to its surprise, empty eyes stared back. " _ **She needs to pace herself, she is not helping you at all.**_ " Its voice was smooth but mechanical, and its body shined in the dark of the tree tops. A silver bird stared down at the android.

"WHO ARE YOU?" The robot stood defensively, clenching its fists. " _ **They call me The One Who Sings. I can hear your skin, it sounds like bronze. I suspect you are a robot, like me?**_ " WX-78 stood frozen in awe, before frantically shaking its head "yes". Turning gears graced the bird's body. Its feathers were thin blades that shined like chrome. "I MUST BE HALLUCINATING. YOU CAN NOT BE REAL." Despite being purely metal, the small song bird flew down to WX-78, landing on its shoulder. " _ **I am very real. Your bones are old, what time are you from?"**_ WX-78 blinked at the little robot. "I…"

" _ **Do not fret, dear companion. It does not matter. May I at least hear your name?**_ "

"WX-78."

" _ **What a strong name**_ ," It cooed, flying a large circle above WX-78's head. " _ **I could sing songs about you, you are brave.**_ " The android glowed with wonder, a rare sight. It had never seen another robot before. The dark in its eyes were piercing, and it radiated with and uncanny aura. Just the way WX-78 liked it. It was like looking into a mirror. "NO SINGING. CAN YOU HELP ME?" The songbird sank its feet into the bark of the tree over the android's head. " _ **I am afraid I do not know how. What is it you seek?**_ "

"FREEDOM. I JUST WANT TO FIND AN EXIT."

" _ **I might be able to help. But look into the horizon, now. The sun is drowning.**_ " WX-78 turned around. Its companion was right. "I KNOW HOW TO START A FIRE, DO NOT WORRY." It kneeled down to the ashes and knocked the wood around. Taking scraps from its shelter, it placed them on top. It froze before going into its backpack for Willow's lighter. The lemur! It must be gone. Shaking the bag, the robot was horrified to see what seemed to be scraps of a dead animal fall out onto the ground. It was a large bone with a tuft of matted fur at the end of it. The robot kicked it away. The mechanical bird flew down to the pile of wood, unhinging its jaw. A small flame shot out from its gizzard, lighting the pile. WX-78 stared in astonishment. " _ **I sing songs of heroes, I sing songs of destruction. This is my song of destruction; I wish it upon heroes.**_ " WX-78 caressed the small creature, taking it into its hands and holding it up to the fading light. "YOU ARE A MIRACLE. CAN YOU STAY WITH ME?"

" _ **We will see. Only time can tell.**_ "

* * *

WX-78 sat hunched over the fire on a log. The silver avian sat at the android's side, ticking like a clock. WX rested its face in its hands, staring into the fire. The bird looked up at it. " _ **You are troubled**_ ," it whispered. "THE FLESHLING." WX-78 shifted slightly, metal sounds croaking through the night. The fire crackled. The automaton watched as the flames licked away at the wood, spouting ambers that climbed to the starless sky. " _ **Tell me**_ ," It rose to its little feet, hopping as songbirds do. " _ **Why is your hate for her so strong? It sounds like too much.**_ " WX-78 huffed tiredly. It stretched its back, placing its hands to its sides on the log bench. "SHE HAS RE-MADE EVERYTHING AND EXPECTS ME TO PRAISE HER WORK, EVEN AFTER MOST OF IT TRIES TO KILL ME. I DO NOT EVEN LIKE HUMANS."

" _ **I see, so that truly is all**_."

"WHAT?" WX-78 gave the small animatronic a puzzled look. " _ **It is just that, as an artist myself, I cannot help but feel… empathy for her. She must spend so long creating these things, even if we despise flesh and blood.**_ " WX chuckled. "MY EMPATHY MODULE IS BROKEN. I AM NOT AN ARTIST ANYWAYS, I DO NOT CARE FOR HER."

" _ **Ah, so be it. I do wonder what it is like to be her, though. She must have been trapped here for hundreds of years, this Charlie. What does she do in her free time?**_ " This made the automaton stop and think. There _was_ an ancient trapped in that curvy young body. WX-78 scratched its head. "I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT."

" _ **This is a weakness, I fear.**_ " The bird hopped into the android's lap. " _ **My dearest companion, your health concerns me deeply. For if you cannot read others, how are you to quench your thirst for knowledge?**_ " WX-78's heart jumped. The songbird was absolutely right. " _ **Your biggest enemy walks by your side, yet she is only a pest to you. What has gone wrong? The ticking in your mind does not sound beautiful, it does not sound beautiful at all.**_ " Before the automaton could speak, the bird continued its speech. " _ **What is beautiful**_ ," It sang, " _ **Is the song in her soul. It is a sad melody, so please, take some time to hear it for yourself. I have not heard such sounds in so long.**_ " Slowly shaking its head, WX-78 dug its fingers into the wood. It had lost the ability to think rationally, after all, this little contraption was passionate with its words. " _ **Good. I'll be seeing you around**_ ," Its wings spread, reflecting the light of the fire. " _ **Pal**_." It shattered. Shattered into pieces. The small contraption collapsed in on itself, right in WX-78's lap. WX shouted in horror, scooping up the nuts and bolts as they spilled to the dirt. Was it all real? It had to be, the shining silver parts sat there, cupped in the robot's shaking hands. But when WX-78 blinked, they were gone. The android cried out in anguish.


	7. Puppeteers

"Oh, dear. I should be taking better care of you." She knelt down to place a gloved hand on the robot's head, who recoiled. "Even if you're a huge jerk." WX-78 had explained the ordeal with the silver bird from last night. "This world is for your eyes only, for now. What you see is unique and designed especially for you."

"I DO NOT UNDERSTAND…" WX-78 uttered, still shaken from the previous events. She crossed her arms, looking down. "It's your sanity. I should have said something, really. I'm guessing you didn't even think about it." Before the robot could respond, she exhaled sharply and stepped away. "Thought so." WX-78 raised a finger and opened its mouth to retort, but no words came out. She frowned, her mouth crooked. "I guess we'll have to do something about it, then." She let her arms fall to her sides as she strode away.

Charlie stopped, looking over her shoulder. "Are you coming, hon?" WX-78 blinked, rubbing its empty eyes. "YES," it barked, its voice filled with confidence again. The android jogged up to her, tugging the straps on its backpack. "BUT…" It gazed off into the distance, feeling more uneasy than usual. "WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME? TELL ME THIS TIME." Charlie twirled a strand of hair in her finger. When WX-78 had told her what the bird had advised, she'd found it quite odd… and convenient. Nonetheless, it was still a bad thing for a figment of the robot's imagination to be lecturing her behind her back about not pacing herself properly when introducing her creations. She probably shouldn't have told WX it was going insane, either. Hell, she shouldn't even be leading it to the caves that speckled the deeper parts of the forest, where she expected it to find itself silk for a top hat. WX-78 would look stupid in a top hat, anyways. Not in a good way.

"You know what?" She stopped, placing her hands on her hips. "You're going crazy, we've established that. But I'm not babying you, anymore. Find a solution yourself." WX-78 gave her a look of surprise, which gradated to betrayal. "WAIT, MY MENTAL HEALTH IS UNSTABLE-!"

She was already gone. What did she expect the robot to do? Where would she have led it? And why drop the matter so suddenly? "WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID?" the robot shouted into the dark of the forest, earning heavy silence in response. Eyeing the distant undergrowth, the robot shrunk into itself, squeezing the backpack's straps. It must have been the middle of the day now, but it seemed too dark out to be true. Maybe it just gets darker when Charlie's omnipresent, and WX-78 hadn't noticed. The automaton face-palmed. Of course it didn't tell her everything about the "hallucination", besides the fact that the bird had been spitting on her behind her back. WX-78 had already been questioning its sanity, of course, since its own imagination had tried to convince it to treat her well. What bugged the android, though, was the fact that the songbird had lit its camp fire. Surely, without the lighter at hand, WX-78 would have been left to the mercy of the night.

It just didn't add up. Sighing, WX-78 began to tread in a new direction. The greens and browns of the forest and all of its rot and moss seemed to fade into a plethora of purple and blue foliage. The robot must have been walking for half an hour now. The ground seemed to glow now with its own radiance.

The light no longer spilled from the tree tops, which were now only a roof in which to keep the heart of the forest contained. To its surprise, the clearings between each tree were littered with exotic fauna. "DISGUSTING," it spat, looking down at them. "THEY ARE PROBABLY POISONOUS." Standing still, the robot waited for any sort of remark from its "guide." When none came, it groaned, bending down to start picking them _. I REALLY HOPE SHE IS NOT WATCHING ME RIGHT NOW. THIS IS SO DEGRADING._

" _ **What a sight. What do you think you are doing?"**_ WX-78 leapt up, the flowers dropping to the ground, wilted. It whirled around, ready to face the robotic songbird, only to see nothing. _I REALLY AM LOSING MY MIND_. Its optical sensors strained to recognize any sign of shining silver in the dark of the forest, but it was as empty as ever. Another voice hissed from behind, " _ **Why did you scare her off? She is leading you into a trap, she always does this.**_ " WX-78 turned back around, snorting. "YOU ARE NOT REAL, LEAVE ME ALONE!" The absence of any life was mocking the robot, and it seethed in frustration. Placing a hand to its metal shell of a chest, it stopped itself from shaking. " _ **You should just lay down and die, forever. Like everyone else.**_ " WX-78 cried out, "I KNOW WHAT YOUR ARE! YOU ARE NOT A ROBOT, YOU ARE AN ILLUSION!" The voice of the animatronic reverberated all around WX-78 now, and it held its head in its trembling hands. Bird calls filled the robot's "ears", clouding its thoughts. They grew loud and unbearable.

WX-78 looked up to the roof of the forest, where bright streaks soared past the sky, gradually becoming a silver wind of mechanical birds. They were laughing as they shot through the dark like a storm of glitter and ice. Nails and bolts fell to the ground at a steady pace, sinking into the dirt and tainting it grey. The robot lowered its hands, looking around itself in horror and confusion. _I WAS PICKING FLOWERS, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!_ The metal bled into the ground, feeding on the foliage and rusting in patches. Birds sat hunched on the low hanging branches, chanting. " _ **Not real, not real! It thinks we are not real!**_ " They erupted into a chorus of laughter again, littered with the occasional shriek. _**"It cannot take care of itself! What a waste of space!**_ "

The ground began to shift and bubble, the bending barely audible over the shouting. The robot felt the floor shake and tremble underneath its feet. The rusted metal rose from the ground slowly, as the yelling grew louder. WX-78 spun in its place, frantically searching for any route of escape. The blobs of orange and brown took on familiar shapes. Knights and bishops circled the android, glaring and snorting. "NO-!" WX-78 wailed, throwing its arms up. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

A single songbird flew from the tree tops, lowering itself to the ground by WX-78's feet. Their optical sensors met, straining and shivering. " _ **Say pal**_ ," it croaked softly, tilting its head. Its voice somehow managed to be heard over all of the bedlam, and WX-78 stepped back as far as it could while still distancing itself from the hostile chess pieces. " _ **You don't look so good.**_ " WX shut its eyes tightly. The noise stopped.

"Double- do- Wex!" Charlie shouted from nearby. Opening its eyes, it caught sight of a dark mist snaking its way into the earth in place of The One Who Sings, which was now back to its previous color and texture. It raised its head to see the flamboyant young woman run up to it. "I was busy, but on my way back I thought I heard shouting. What happened?" WX-78 rubbed its back. "EVERYTHING IS FINE, HOMINID- AND MY NAME IS WX-78." She narrowed her eyes. "Doesn't _sound_ like everything's fine." She was right, too. There was an edge of fear to the mechanical voice of the android, and its breath was hitched and shaky. "You at least tried picking flowers, right? You don't have to lie to me about it…"

"WHO TOLD YOU?!" it shouted, nervously glancing over its shoulder. She flinched at the robot's drastic change in tone, and carefully placed a hand on its shoulder comfortingly. To her surprise, WX-78 didn't cringe under her touch. "Something must be wrong with the flowers, then. They're obviously not working. I'll… I'll talk to Maxwell about it." She seemed confused and slightly annoyed. _These things don't just happen. You've never made a mistake like this, William._ The whole thing was very suspicious, and she had a feeling she knew exactly what was going on. "I'm going to leave, again. I think you should just stay here and keep picking flowers anyways. You'll be fine." Her hand slid from the automaton's shoulder as she plummeted into the pool of darkness at her feet.

* * *

"Will!" She barked, storming up to the nightmare throne, the clacking of her heels reverberating down the dark pathway. "Yes?" he purred, his voice laced with amusement. Maxwell's face was filled with color once more as he sat back in his chair, puffing on his cigar and grinning at her. "What do you think you're doing?" She hissed, pointing to the ground as if WX-78 were beneath them. "What- _ever_ do you mean, my dearest assistant?" He chuckled heartily, a stream of smoke escaping his nostrils. "I know you're up to something, I hope you're not playing with any of the _puppets_." He rolled his eyes, his grin fading to a gentle smile. "I'm only pushing the dumb contraption in the right direction. You can help, it'll be fun." She huffed, drifting closer to him. "So you're doing what, exactly? Trying to scare it out of its laziness?" Maxwell nodded. "I personally thought the _bird_ was a lovely idea."

She smirked. "As long as it works, I'm in."

* * *

WX-78 lay in the flower bed, staring up at the heavens, which were clouded with leaves. Its state of mind had improved greatly, but it was still shaken. It snorted, glaring at the sky. "I AM _NOT_ A WASTE OF SPACE," it growled, shoving a handful of petals into its mouth. "STUPID ANIMATRONIC."

It shifted on the ground, pulling its backpack out from underneath itself _. I THINK I PUT FOOD IN HERE_ , it thought. Emptying the contents onto its bronze belly, the robot yelped. "NOT THIS SHIT AGAIN!" It scrambled upwards, hastily brushing the scraps onto the forest floor. "I SWEAR I THREW THAT THING OUT!" The bone lay in the flower patch, still clumped on one end with disgusting purple fur. The robot would have assumed it had put it back in to throw it out somewhere else, if it hadn't just _moved_. "NO- I AM NOT CRAZY!" It kicked foliage over the bone, which rattled and flinched in response. The matted fur opened to reveal… an eye?

"BIOLOGY IS DISGUSTING!" it cried out, backing away. Suddenly, the branches hanging high above the automaton's head began to creak under the weight of something. Just as WX looked up, something fell, clinging to the robot's back and shoulders. WX-78 screamed, thrashing and pulling on its attacker. It unlatched itself from the android, slinking to the ground. WX-78 leapt away, snatching a stick off of the ground and flailing it in the air. "YOU ARE MESSING WITH THE WRONG WRESTLING CHAMPION- IT IS NOT JOHN CENA." Upon further inspection, the creature didn't seem to be threatening at all. It was shaped like a sack of potatoes with purple fur. It had stubby little orange legs, not unlike Chester. Its arms, however, were ridiculously long and gave the impression that the bugger was meant to resemble a sloth. Down its sides and up to its "mouth" was a zipper. Covering its face was a large tuft of fluff; two horns poked from the sides. Oddly enough, it had a long reptilian tail that matched its coat. To top it all off, it was spiked. "THEY RE-DESIGNED YOU, TOO? SERIOUSLY?" The robot looked around. "THE SLOBBERING MUTT WAS BAD ENOUGH, DO NOT TELL ME I HAVE TO WEAR YOU LIKE A BACKPACK."

The creature held its arms up, its small hands grabbing at the air high above its head like a needy child. "YOU HAD BETTER HOLD MORE THAN MY FIRST BAG- OR ELSE YOU ARE DINNER." WX-78 approached it, holding it up with ease and allowing it to drape its arms over the automaton's shoulders. WX grasped the odd monster's wrists to help keep it from sliding off. "AT LEAST YOU DO NOT DROOL," it sighed, picking up the eye bone. "WE ARE GOING TO FIND ORGANIC SUSTENANCE, IF YOU DIGEST IT I WILL KILL YOU."


	8. Reincarnated Fears

WX-78 stops to look up. It was feeling less shaken now, but uneased by the hairy monster that clung to its back. At least it could hold a reasonable amount of stuff, and unlike Chester, didn't slobber on any of it. Equipping a new grappling hook, the robot graciously, as not to throw off the lively backpack, swings it and tosses it up to a low-hanging branch. It gets snatched in the leaves, and WX-78 tugs. A few unripe fruits fall out, some bursting on impact, but otherwise in good enough shape to eat. WX can't complain, it's not a very picky eater. It moves to collect them out from the dirt and reaches over its shoulder to offer them to the backpack. It pushed its head up, its hair seeming to consume the fruits when it only blocks its mouth at that angle. WX-78 flinched as another fruit fell to its feet without any warning. The android lifted it and observed it. Taking a small bite, it tensed and spat. "I FORGOT THERE WAS A LOT OF WATER IN FRUIT," it said to nobody in particular.

Charlie watched from the shadows. _So, is it like eating something sour or spicy?_ She wondered, fumbling with something in her hands as she half-mindedly payed attention to what WX was doing. _It can't hurt that bad._ She stole a glance at them, her eyes squinting. _Where'd WX find Zachpack?_ She shook her head to herself, shrugging. _It's progress_.

WX-78 sighed in relief as it reached the edge of the forest's heart. Sunlight poured through the trees again and fauna began to disperse over the undergrowth. It was warmer as well. After an eternity of walking and bird watching, WX-78 turned its attention from the colorful songbirds and addressed the elephant in the room. "WHAT DO I CALL YOU?" it wondered out loud, taking the creature off of its back now with ease. As if it could understand, it reached one of its elongated arms down to its tail. It tugged at a white tag that read "Zachpack" in cursive handwriting. Unmistakably, it was Charlie's handwriting. It couldn't be explained, other than the fact that it just looked too energetic and flawless to be anyone else's. WX huffed, slinging Zach back over its shoulders, its wrists still in the android's grip. It began to walk again, taking in the scenery as if it were the robot's own backyard, if it ever had one. It must have grown numb to natural beauties with everything that was going on with monsters and what-not.

Charlie examined the object in her hands. _Don't mess this up, Will._ She adjusted it carefully in deep concentration _. It needs to look just like the drawings._ She grinned wildly, bouncing and howling through grit teeth. She unconsciously drifted through the shadows after WX-78, effortlessly, as if she were on auto-pilot. Floating, Charlie hovered in the dark on her back, holding the object up to the light as best as she could without being pushed away by its divine force.

* * *

Maxwell stood away from his throne as he had when greeting any of the players in the standard environments, as a hologram or illusion of some kind. Shadows clung to his ankles anyways, like chains that fed him youth and strength. He was still in that chair, and he felt it. It felt no different if he projected himself anywhere in his world, he'd still be aching and tired from head to toe. He watched, hands resting behind his back, as shadows hands worked with a thick dark cloth. He nibbled on his cigar. Silently commanding the dark, he stood quietly as the hands stretched and measured, stitched and sewed with their own matter. Black strings slithered from the ground and laced through the materials, other tendrils snipping them away like scissors. He was occupied, and he was doing it all for Charlie. He was almost happy. Maxwell began to hum a somber tune to keep his face straight and his expression cold. Shaking feelings away, his eyes flickered over the cloths in determination.

* * *

WX-78 slowed, sitting down but paying no mind to the dirt. It was a mess already, stained and scratched like an old car. Zachpack slipped to the ground beside it. Charlie almost floated past them, and stopped herself at a far distance to keep an eye over them both. WX-78 manned-up and took normal bites from the fruit. "I DO NOT NEED A CAMP OR A BASE," it said. "I WILL JUST KEEP MOVING, IT IS NOT LIKE SHE WILL LET ME DIE ANYWAYS. MAYBE IF I SEE EVERYTHING, SHE WILL FINALLY HELP FREE ME." It sneered. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FIND THE _THINGS_ IF I AM SETTLING DOWN IN ONE PLACE?" WX-78 leapt up. "I AM NOT EVEN GOING TO _TRY_ TO DISCOVER ANY OF HER MONSTERS. I AM JUST GOING TO FIND THE THINGS." Charlie overheard, rolling her eyes. _You'd have to get past them anyways_ , she thought. She dropped the object in her hands to the ground, where it was absorbed by the shadows the trees were casting. She gave a final glance in the automaton's direction before following it, being omnipresent for a moment before resurfacing behind Maxwell.

"Will!" she called out, almost shouting. He jumped, whirling around. "Don't do that!" he hissed, his cigar flaring. She smiled. "Did I scare _The Amazing_ _Maxwell_?" she teased, looking over his shoulder. "Is it done?"

He pinched his temple, stepping out of the way for her to see his work. She almost swooned, swaying on her feet. "It's perfect!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together. Two boney, dark, and clawed hands held up a fur coat, black as night with long flaps that trailed to the ground. Maxwell nodded, closing his eyes for a moment while she danced up to it. "It was my idea, after all," he muttered. Charlie snatched it away from the hands, and they sunk back into the dark surrounding them. Her gaze unmoving from the coat, she snapped a finger and another hand came rocketing up from the ground with a decorative bull's skull. She took it and the hand was dismissed as well. "Now," he began. "Don't you dare tell it why you're wearing these... things." Charlie spun, wrapping herself in the black coat. "Don't worry," she said, holding up the skull by a small stick that protruded from its skinless muzzle, making it into a mask. "When do I… You know?" She tapped the stick. "You'll know, trust me."

She lowered the mask, beaming at him. "So it's okay for it to see the gazelk first, yeah?"

"Of course," he chuckled. "I'm sure it's sick of fruits and all that nonsense." He waved her off, lowering himself into the nightmare throne. When he looked up, she was gone. Maxwell sighed, leaned back, and watched the world through their eyes.

* * *

After barely saving its rations (and Zach) from another lemur encounter, WX-78 tore through the forest, half of its concentration going into its physical surroundings, and the other half into the map it could see through robotic eyes. "I WILL UNCOVER EVERYTHING," it had said to itself before running off in a random direction. "I WILL JUST GET IT OVER WITH."

Charlie surfaced in the treetops, watching closely and quietly like a starving animal. She looked kind of silly as well, perched on a large branch in heels and a fur coat, like some rich woman gone feral. She reconsidered the mask's design, looking down at it and snapping the stick off of the skull. Shadows threaded through its eye sockets, subtle and unnoticeable as they wrapped around her head. She placed it onto her face gently, ignoring the fact that it was, indeed, an animal's remains. She leapt. Down, down, to the ground, her coat falling gracefully with her, like a drop of ink. She plunged into the dark as if it were a lake of black water, resurfacing closer to the robot. WX-78 leapt over roots ingrained to the ground at dangerous angles, all the while pushing brush and vines away before they could whip the android in the face. Colorful and small birds flew overhead, watching curiously but keeping a fair distance. WX-78 slowed as it came to a river. "THIS BODY OF WATER IS… NEW." It leaned over it, looking at its reflection. "UGH, I AM A MESS," it spat, grimacing. The automaton held a hand up to its face, rubbing. "A LITTLE WATER WILL NOT HURT, AS LONG AS IT IS AN EXTERNAL USE." It lowered its fingers to the water, dipping them in. It was fine, since the material of the android's hands were more of a flexible rubber and didn't soak any of it up. There were no cracks or frames. It rubbed dirt from its face, squinting into the water's surface. Satisfied with its hygiene, WX-78 stood up and jumped the narrow river, which was more of a stream in this area. Looking to its side, it could clearly see that it widened over pointed rocks. It shrugged, moving forwards. Its calm walk became a trot as it focused on its own goal again.

Skidding to a halt, WX-78 overlooked another stream bed. Shrugging, it readied itself to hop again, when something in the water moved out of the corner of its optical sensors. WX wobbled in surprise, stumbling back. "IS THAT A FISH?" it wondered out loud. It wrestled the grappling hook out of Zachpack's mouth, swinging it as if it were nunchucks as it approached the water. Cautiously, WX-78 peeked over the stream, only to see its own reflection again. It sighed, lowering its eyelids… only… its reflection didn't. WX-78 blinked in confusion, leaning away enough to be able to see itself, but be out of reach of anything in the water. The reflection tilted its head, and that's where the android crossed the line.

WX-78 unleashed a metallic war scream, throwing the hook into the water. It made a heavy splash and disrupted the surface. After a moment of silence, WX-78 moved to pull the hook out of the stream, but something tugged back, making WX stumble forwards. "I AM HAVING _NONE_ OF THIS!" it shouted, jerking the hook from the stream with all of its strength. Something screamed from the water, its voice muffled. Without a second thought, WX jumped over the river, narrowly avoiding the clawed, wet, and metallic hand that shot out after it. It scratched and clambered at the ground for a moment before slithering back into the water in defeat. Charlie's eyes fluttered in surprise.

 _We must be far north-east_ , she thought. _Perfect_. The automaton strutted victoriously away from the body of water, dragging the wet rope and hook along the ground. "DID YOU SEE THAT, FLESH-FACE?" it shouted, puffing its copper chest out. Charlie rolled her eyes, snorting. "YOUR SIRENS MAY BE SEXUALLY ATTRACTIVE, BUT I AM TOO SMART TO FALL FOR GOOD LOOKS." She giggled. "It was your _reflection,_ " she whispered to herself.

Marching off again, the robot soon came to a large clearing of tall grass. Stepping closer, it was clear that it reached WX-78's waist. It looked over its shoulder at Zachpack. "YOU KNOW FAÇADE AND FOCUS PUNCH, RIGHT?" Its head snapped back around when it heard movement. Readying the hook in its hand, WX-78 shrank down to meet the grass at eyelevel. A head shot out from the distance. The muzzle of a cervidae stiffened in the air. A gloriously large set of horns grew from its head, curving into a striped spiral and branching out in some places. Its gaze was frightened as it sniffed around, then rose to its full height. It was enormous. It had thick fur, white with streaks of black, making it seem like some ancient elk with the coat of a gazelle. Powerful and delicate, it was a walking oxymoron.

Before WX could react, several others emerged from the grass, rising up to gaze at the sky with coal-black eyes. They stood like that for what seemed like an eternity, before dispersing and minding themselves as they nibbled at the grass. It was only when WX-78 rose back up when they reeled back in surprise, making odd warning calls. Realizing it was just a (terrified) player, they calmed themselves and only watched curiously, similar to a herd of beefalo. WX-78 hesitated to approach them any further. _Beefalo_. A variation of the androids own _murderer_ towered before it in fading light. It slowly raised a hand to its stomach, where it flinched and cringed, almost feeling that same gaping wound from its previous life. The robot crawled back, a blanket of fear falling over it as its fight-or-flight senses kicked in. Sniffing again, the gazelk cautiously approached the automaton, lowering its head in interest. WX-78 jumped away. The world contorted and shifted through WX-78's eyes as its breathing fell uneven and sharp.

It was panicking. The gazelk smelled it, rearing back in fear of being attacked. What WX saw, however, was a monster squaring up to strike a deadly blow with its jagged horns. Shining black eyes watched hungrily through the tall grass, maws littered with glinting teeth. WX screamed, running off. The gazelk cried out in surprise, prancing away in the other direction. The others craned their necks to watch the little android scurry away into the forest. WX stopped in front of the river again, frantically glancing over its shoulders. Looking down, the water was coarse and black. The automaton caressed its head with one hand, pulling Zachpack off with the other to hold it.

It squeezed the purple critter nervously, stepping back from the stream. A figure rose from the murky liquid and materialized. It was Charlie in her new attire, and she stepped from the water slowly, wrapped in her fur coat, her face hidden by the skull of a bull. "SHADOW FLESHLING? IS THAT YOU? I AM NOT FEELING WELL…" it murmured. "What's wrong, dear?" she asked, her voice too cool and calm to mean well, devoid of all energy. WX-78 slung Zach back on, backing away from her. "Don't want to talk about it?" Her head tilted. "I'll leave, then." She smiled behind her mask, dipping a heel back into the water. She dipped completely into the water, which WX swore couldn't have been deeper than a foot or so. Before WX-78 could move forward or back, a pale human hand creeped out from the water, the size of a lion. Then came a wrist than rose behind it, then a forearm than bent at an odd angle from an elbow. It had nails painted black and hairless skin. WX-78 look up at it from under its shadow, terrified. "On second thought…" It heard her voice echo from the dark in all directions. "What's been bothering you?" The water bubbled for a moment, the arm shaking as if it were pulling something from the surface. A shrill scream burst from a geyser of black.


End file.
